Sunday, March 29, 2009

So we're still getting settled in the new house. We're about half unpacked, and still have to go back and clean and get one or two more loads from the old house tomorrow. I wish we were done and settled in! And life could go back to normal. My sister Dana is here visiting, and we had a fun day and ended it with pizza. I've already written about pizza a ton of times, but we whipped up this cake for dessert. It was just what I wanted, light and airy and soft. I did overcook mine by a few minutes because we might have been a little distracted watching 'Chopped', but it was delicious anyway. We served ours with caramel and chocolate sauces I had in the fridge, but it would be fine on its own, or with whipped cream, or whatever you have around. Maybe a fruit sauce. Go nuts.

Sponge cake

From the Joy of Cooking, made gluten-free

zest from 1 lemon

1 c sugar

5 eggs, separated

1/4 c boiling water

1 T lemon juice

1 c rice flour mix

1/2 t xanthan gum

2 t baking powder

pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350. Mix zest and sugar, rubbing between your fingers so the zest releases a little of it's oils into the sugar and it's all good and lemony. Beat in the egg yolks, then slowly add the water, while stirring, then the lemon juice. Mix together the flour mix, xanthan gum, and baking powder, then stir into the yolk mix. Whip the whites until they hold stiff peaks (but aren't dry), then fold into the yolk mixture. Pour batter into a tube pan and bake 35-40 minutes, until lightly browned on the top. Mine got a little too dark, I'm still getting the hang of my oven. Invert pan as soon as you take the pan out of the oven and let cool completely, then remove from the pan onto a plate.

How ironic! I bought a shortcake pan today and was telling my friend who was with me that I needed a recipe for pound cake or sponge cake. I even remarked that I bet that you (my fave food blog) had one and then it appeared!

Yum,yum, I'll take a slice just like that one lovingly covered in caramel & chocolate, yes, chocolate I know I'm not crazy about it but your photo has convinced me that it will be fine! You mentioned going nuts, yes, yes, I'll take nuts.~ingrid